The Nation

Doctors at the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University medical schools have isolated a substance thought to be responsible for many of the miseries caused by the common cold. The suspected culprits are called kinins, inflammatory chemicals found in nasal secretions, said Dr. Jack Gwaltney, professor of internal medicine at the University of Virginia. The doctors said the information, if confirmed by more research, could be the key to unlocking the mystery of why cold sufferers must contend with stuffy noses and sore throats.